This regulation applies to students in all PU sites of delivery and in all UK and international partnerships, unless
exceptions to regulations have been formally approved.
PLYMOUTH UNIVERSITY
Extenuating Circumstances regulations
1.
Scope and definitions
1.1
This document outlines the University’s regulation for instances in which a student
believes there to be extenuating circumstances relating to summative assessment
activity, including late submission of work, non- submission of work or nonattendance at a time specific assessment.
1.2
This document should be read alongside the Extenuating circumstances policy and
procedures for students on taught programmes document, which provides detailed
guidance for students on what does and does not constitute extenuating
circumstances. The document also sets out the procedures that should be followed
when a student believes there to be extenuating circumstances relating to
assessment.
1.3
Extenuating circumstances may be defined as circumstances which:
• affect a student’s ability to attend or complete an assessment or a number of
assessments
• are exceptional
• are outside a student’s control
• can be corroborated by independent evidence
• occurred during or shortly before the assessment in question
2.
Policy
2.1
The aim of the policy is to ensure no student is disadvantaged by circumstances
beyond their control, while also maintaining academic standards.
2.2
All claims of extenuating circumstance will be treated with due diligence and
confidentiality.
2.3
The University operates a ‘fit-to-sit policy’. If a student believes that their academic
performance will be affected by personal or health circumstances, they must submit
an extenuating circumstances form, and must not sit the exam or complete / submit
the assessment. If a student sits an exam or completes / submits an assessment,
this will normally be taken as a declaration that they consider themselves fit to do so,
and will normally count as an attempt.
2.4
If a student believes that their academic performance will be affected by personal or
health circumstances, they must submit details to the Faculty or partner institution
on the appropriate form and provide relevant corroborative evidence as soon as
possible, and no later than ten working days after the assessment deadline. Claims
submitted outside published deadlines will not normally be validated.
2.5
All claims, other than those that are self-certified, as described at para 2.6, must be
accompanied by independent corroborating evidence indicating nature, timing and
evidence of the problem and the effect on student’s performance. Corroborating
evidence should not normally be obtained retrospectively. Information on what
constitutes acceptable corroborating evidence is available in the Extenuating
circumstances policy and procedures for students on taught programmes document.
2.6
Students may, exceptionally, self-certify illness for which medical advice would not
normally be sought, that has a duration of 5 days or less, but is severe in its effects,
preventing their engagement with assessment activity. Self-certification is allowed
only once in each academic year. The extenuating circumstances policy and
procedures for students on taught programmes document provides further details
on the circumstances in which self-certification can be accepted.
2.7
Valid extenuating circumstances will not result in an adjustment to a mark.
Improvement to marks can only be achieved by reassessment. Details of how
extenuating circumstances may be taken into account are set out in the Extenuating
circumstances policy and procedures for students on taught programmes document.
2.8
The procedure for considering extenuating circumstances claims is set out in the
Extenuating circumstances policy and procedures for students on taught
programmes document.
2.9
Valid extenuating circumstances claims will not be carried forward to cover future
assessments automatically. A student must normally submit a separate claim for
each assessment affected.
3.
Appeal against an Extenuating Circumstances decision
3.1
Students have the right to appeal against the Faculty or partner institution’s decision
whether or not to accept an Extenuating Circumstances claim. Such appeals must
be submitted within ten working days of the outcome of the extenuating
circumstances claim being communicated to the student and may be made only on
the following grounds:
3.2
3.3
a
A material and demonstrable procedural irregularity in the Extenuating
Circumstances process.
b
Evidence that the Faculty or partner institution did not consider all of the
information available to it at the time of its consideration of the claim.
Appeals will not be considered on the following grounds:
a
Dissatisfaction with the reasonable judgment of the Faculty or partner
institution in its consideration of the Extenuating Circumstances claim,
b.
Late submission of an application for Extenuating Circumstances or late
submission of evidence to support an application where there are no
compelling grounds why the application was made late.
Appeals against the Faculty or partner institution’s decision on whether or not to
accept an Extenuating Circumstances claim must be made within ten working days
of the decision as set out above, and will not normally be accepted during the main
summer or referral appeal periods.
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Appeals will be considered through the University’s appeals process, available at
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/academic-regulations .
The outcome of any appeal against a Faculty or partner institution decision in
relation to Extenuating Circumstances is final and will not be considered
subsequently as an appeal against the decision of the Award Assessment Board.
Version number
Status (final)
2015/16 v1
Draft
Summary of any amendments
Owned by
Academic Regulations Co-ordinator
Document objectives
To set out the University’s Extenuating Circumstances regulations, effective for the
academic year 2015-16 (to be read alongside the Extenuating Circumstances policy
and procedures document).
Intended recipients
Students and staff
Approving Body and Date approved
Principles approved by Academic
Board, 26 June 2012
This version – September 2015
Summer 2016
Job Title
Academic Regulations Co-ordinator
Date of Issue
Review date
Contact for review
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